Colorado Actors Theatre in Twin Peaks Mall closes, looks for new site

By Quentin Young Longmont Times-Call

Posted:
02/12/2013 08:35:19 PM MST

Updated:
02/12/2013 08:37:09 PM MST

Peg Bubon works to pack up cast photos from all of the past performances of the Colorado Actors Theatre on Tuesday at Twin Peaks Mall. The theater group is moving due to the planned demolition of Twin Peaks Mall.
(
Matthew Jonas
)

LONGMONT -- Colorado Actors Theatre has temporarily closed.

The troupe, one of three based in Longmont, has long been located in Twin Peaks Mall, which is subject to major redevelopment plans, including the planned demolition of the theater space.

Kim Bubon, who owns the theater with her husband, Robert, said uncertainty about the demolition date is one of the reasons the theater chose to shut down operations last week. She said mall owner NewMark Merrill Mountain States has not communicated well with the theater.

"All the information we get is what you guys print in the paper, because they don't ever tell us anything," she said.

Robert Bubon moves a table while working to pack up the Colorado Actors Theatre on Tuesday at Twin Peaks Mall. The theater group is moving due to the planned demolition of Twin Peaks Mall.
(
Matthew Jonas
)

Kyle Koch, a property manager for NewMark Merrill, said he is not aware of the theater having made inquiries about the demolition date, adding that he's not hard to reach.

"There's no set date on when the mall is being deconstructed," he said.

Colorado Actors Theatre was set to begin rehearsing its next production, "The Lion in Winter," but decided against it, Bubon said. Colorado Actors Theatre has known that it would have to move out eventually and has been looking for a new space, she added.

Robert Bubon said other factors, such as recent sporadic attendance at performances and a failure to find a relocation space, have contributed to the theater interrupting operations for the moment.

Also, he said, "I think I'd like a little break."

He noted that Colorado Actors Theatre (formerly California Actors Theatre, originally named for the state where it was founded) has produced 49 shows in eight years in Longmont.

Because the Bubons have not found a suitable relocation space in Longmont they are considering possibilities in other Boulder County communities, they said. Robert Bubon said the theater's specific needs limit the kinds of spaces they can consider. It has to be an affordable space with lots of room and certain amenities to accommodate audiences, he said, adding that he's open to suggestions.

Asked if the theater's future is in jeopardy, Robert Bubon said, "The plan is to move forward and find a place."